In this series, unspun talks to Berkeley consultants about their experience and what makes them tick. Partner Dave Machin takes the stage.
First question, Dave: how did you get into consultancy?
When I left University, I joined Unipart’s IT Group, who had sponsored me during my degree. Eight years later I was still there, running IT for the supply chain outsourcing division with a team of 140 people. I had learned an enormous amount, but was very conscious that I only knew one organisation and felt I needed a new challenge.
"I love getting involved in recruitment and talking about what makes Berkeley tick"
Consultancy seemed a great way of working with different sectors, cultures and challenges. I joined Gemini Consulting in 1998, and have been a consultant ever since.
Did consultancy give you the opportunities that you were after?
Absolutely. I was fortunate enough to work on some large and challenging projects in the US, France and Germany as well as in the UK. I’d always promised myself (and my wife!) that when it was time to start a family, I would find a job that didn’t involve sustained periods away from home. I spent six months full time in Frankfurt just before the birth of my first child, and joined Berkeley just after he was born in 2001.
Has your career at Berkeley continued to give you the variety that you value?
Yes, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a very varied portfolio of projects. Some have been purely business focused – for example, the creation of a European sales operation for a UK fund manager. Others have been very technical – such as setting up a new data centre, and migrating systems to it as part of a head office move. Most have a bit of both. I recently helped find a technology partner to work with a large retailer rolling out RFID tags to improve stock control. That included building the business case, and negotiating contracts with a variety of third parties.
You became a partner in Berkeley in 2004 – what are your favourite (and least favourite) aspects of being a partner?
I love getting involved in recruitment – I really enjoy meeting candidates throughout our interview process, and talking about what makes Berkeley tick. However, sometimes my enthusiasm for the firm means I tend to waffle on when answering candidates’ questions! As the incumbent finance partner, I’d have to put the Partnership tax return at the bottom of my popularity poll.
What's on your iPod?
Mine gets plugged into the car on long journeys, which, while great for keeping the kids quiet, has the downside of treating me to the Tweenies Greatest Hits if it’s on random shuffle. My top three for the train would be Athlete – Vehicles and Animals (feelgood); Radiohead – The Bends (feelbad); and Brian Eno – Music for Airports (feel like I need to get some work done).
What's the craziest thing you've done?
Pre-children, I used to scuba-dive quite a bit. My local dive club was based on the south coast. Anyone who has experienced the clear blue water of the Red Sea would probably contend that diving in cold, low-visibility water around the UK is pretty daft.
So how do you spend your spare time?
A lot of it is spent with my sons, aged five and two. The Saturday morning ritual involves taking both of them swimming, and it feels really odd if for some reason we miss it. I love a good book too. I’ve just finished reading Michael Dobbs’ series of novels based on the life of Winston Churchill. Each one throws a plausible but fictitious twist into an otherwise historically accurate sequence of events during the Second World War. Highly recommended.
Thanks for your time, Dave.